animoufly testify, that this covenant was both fworn and fubfcribed. The most ancient teftimony which can be adduced is that of Pliny: His Epiftle to Trajan was written either in the feventh or tenth year of the fecond century; and, at the longest computation, within twelve years of the death of the Apoftle John; perhaps within five or fix after the canon of Scripture was completed. Hence we may conclude, that, as he reprefents it to Trajan as the general practice of the Church at that time, it must have prevailed every where in the time of that Apoftle's life. His words are, They affirmed, the whole of their guilt, or their error, was, that they met on a certain ftated day, before it was light, and addreffed themfelves in a form of prayer to Chrift, as to fome God, binding themselves by a SOLEMN OATH, not for the purposes of any wicked defign; but never to commit any fraud, theft, or adultery, never to falfify their word, nor deny a truft when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which, it was their cuftom to feparate, and then reaffemble, to eat in common a harmJefs meal*." JUSTIN MARTYR, who lived near the middle of the fecond century, wrote his fecond apology about the year 160; and

be

*See MELMOTH's tranflation, p. 673.The original is, "Affirmabant autem, hanc fuifle vel culpæ fuæ, vel errors quod eflent foliti ftato die ante lucum convinere; carmenque Chrifto quafi Deo, dicere fecum in vicem: fe

que

he declares in it, "That baptifm was given only to thofe who, to the Confeffion of their Faith, added a vow, to live according to their knowledge." TERTULLIAN, who came near fifty years later, frequently mentions the folema abjuration of the Devil and his works. When inveighing against fhows, and theatrical reprefentations, urgeth their folemn covenanting prior to their baptifm: "Thefe things

que SACRAMENTO, non in fcelus aliquod obftringere, fed ne furta, ne Latrocinia, ne ad ulteria committerent, ne fidem fallerent, ne depofitum appellati abnegarent. Quibus peractis, morem fibi difcendi fuifle, rurfufque coeundi ad capiendum cibum promifcuum tamen, et in

noxum."

As fome appear not to have understood the term SACRAMENTUM, I have fubjoined the account of it which is given by FABER: "Sacramentum idem quod jusjuran dum. Feftus SACRAMENTUM dicitur, quod jurejurando fa cratione interpofita actum eft: unde quis Sacramento interrogari dicitur, quia jusjurandum interponitur. Sacramentum perfidum dicere apud Horat. II. Carm. Od. xvii. Sacramento obligare, Cicer. Offic. Lib. 1. cap. ii. Sacramento rogare aliquem, Quintil. Lib. XII. cap. ii. i. e. Jurejurando adigere Sacramento dicere, Liv. Lib. XXIV. cap. viii. &c. xar' sox, quafi de jurejurando militari dicitur cujus Exemplum apud Gellium, Lib. XVI. cap. iv. Vid. Lipfium, Lib. I. de militia, Dial. vi. Vo. care ad Sacramentum, adigere Sacramento milites Sumere Sacramentum, &c. Et hoc fenfu de Chriftianis poteft accepi quando per Baptifmum Ecclefiæ inferuntur juramento que fe Chrifto obligant. Heerom. Fpift. I. ad Heliadorum, "Recordare Tirocinii tui Diem Chrifto in Baptifinate confepultus in Sacramenti verba jurafti." Et ante hunc Tertullian: ad Martyres, cap. iii. "Vocati fumus ad militiam Dei vivi jam tunc, cum in verba Sacramenti refpondimus." Vide FABER apud vocem.

(faid he) belong unto the pomp of the Devil, against which we S WORF at the fealing of our Creed: And what did we fwear againt? That we ought not to partake of thele things, either by deeds, or words, or fight, or prefence: But do we not refcind our SUBSCRIPTION, when we refcind the teftimony of it *," viz. by an unbecoming converfation. In his book on the foul, "Thou covenantedeft to renounce him and his pomp, and his angels t," viz. the Devil. JEROM alfo affures us, that folemn covenanting preceded baptifin: "We enter into covenant with the Sun of Righteoufnefs; and engage that we fhall ferve him." The very ufe of Creeds feems to have been, that they might form covenant-articles between Chrift and the perfon profeffing his adherence to it. The term SYMBOLUM feems to import as much. Says WITSIUS, "The Creed is called SYMBOLUM-it is the Teffera, as it were, of the cOVENANT into which we enter with God at baptifin; and the military oath by which thefe foldiers, who are faithful to Christ, are easily diftinguished from perfidious deferters §." Nor is SUICE RUS otherways

minded: He reckons it is fo called in allufion to the military oath, or contract which foldiers made with the Emperor, when engaged into

De Spectaculis, cap. xxiv.

Jerom in Amos vi. 14.

*

Eece

† De Anima, cap. xvii.

§ In Symbolumn.

his

his fervice; for the Creed is the token of the covenant we make with God at our baptifin. And this author is fupported by the authority of AMBROSE, who ftyles the Creed, "The OATH of our warfare." As alfo of PETRUS CHRYSOLOG US, who declares, "The covenant by which we have hope, either for prefent or future gain, was called SYMBOLUM, whether it be a divine or human coNTRACT." As folemn covenanting obtained in the first ages of the Chriftian Church, fo it was continued until the days of GREGORY NAZIANZEN, as appears from a bond of his yet extant, the tenor whereof follows: "By the eternal Word I fwear, even that great divinity, who, being the brightness of the Father's glory, and in nature equal unto him, came down to us from his eternal kingdom: I folemnly fwear, That I will never embrace any evil opinions repugnant to the truth: That, in my Creed, I will never exchange the true God for another; even the eternal Word for one of an inferior character; and that, affrighted by no affliction whatever, will I ever confent to divide the honour due to the ever bleffed Trinity*.” From thefe evidences, I hesitate not to conclude, That, as covenanting obtained in the first centuries of the primitive Church, immediately after the apoftolic age; fo these covenants were ratified with the folemnity of an

ΝΑΖΙΑΝΖΕΝ, Ωμονα τον λόγον, &c.

oath.

oath. I fhall now enquire if they were fubfcribed: And the evidences of fubfcription, are equally decifive. Says VITRINGA, "The baptized INSCRIBED (their names) in the tables of the Church, in the catalogue of believers, in the BOOK OF LIFE (if it be lawful fo to fpeak). This appears from Cyprian, and the common practice of the ancient Church : And there is a Differtation of Dodwell's, DE DIPTYCHIS, as thefe tables were ftyled, among his Cyprianic Diflertations, juft now commended*." This fubfcription, on thefe tables, is confidered by Vitringa as the accomplishment of that prediction: "And another fhall SUBSCRIBE with the hand unto the Lord †.” AMBROSE, when addreffing fuch as had been initiated into the Church, and admitted to baptifm, faid to each of them, "Thy HANDWRITING is registrated not only on earth, but alfo in heaven." And GREGORY NAZIANZEN, addreffed them in the following terms: "If thou haft SUBSCRIBED any other faith than that which I have taught, come and be ENROLLED AGAIN. And fay to those who would perfuade thee to change thy faith, What I HAVE WRITTEN I HAVE WRITTEN §." Should any afk if covenanting was a term of communion in the primitive Church? I would

* In If. xliv. 5. † If. xliv. 5.

Ambrof. De Sacramento, Lib. I. cap. ii. § Orat. XL. anfwer,

Ecce 2